Allocasuarina from the Greek 'allos' meaning other or different, indicating the relationship with the genus Casuarina (first used by Rumphius (1743) in allusion to the supposed resemblance of the "foliage" of Casuarina equisetifolia to the plumage of the Cassowary, which is from the Malay 'kesuari', latter being latinised as Casuarius). Robusta from Latin meaning well developed, robust.

Distribution:

Endemic to South Australia and found only in the Mount Compass area on the Fleurieu Peninsula and is restricted to wet depression.

Smooth semi-flat black seeds to 3 mm long with a papery wing at one end.

Embryo type:

Investing.

Seed collecting:

Cones can be collected anytime as mature cones remain on the female plant. Collect cones that have closed valves from the lower part of the stem as these are more mature.

Seed cleaning:

Place cones in a paper bag and leave to dry for 2-3 weeks. This will allow the valves to dry and open, releasing the seeds. Then place the cones in a bucket and shake gently to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate seeds from unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.

Seed viability:

From three collections, the seed viability were average, ranging from 45% to 70%.

Seed germination:

Seeds are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily.

Seeds stored:

Location

No. of seeds(weight grams)

Numberof plants

Datecollected

Collection numberCollection location

Datestored

% Viability

Storagetemperature

BGA MSB

1190011900

>30

23-Jan-2004

DJD 5Southern Lofty

1-Sep-2004

60%

+5°C, -18°C

BGA

29300 (52.07 g)

25

23-Jan-2008

DJD1045Southern Lofty

19-Sep-2008

45%

+5°C, -18°C

BGA

8900 (14.94 g)

30-40

12-Jan-2009

DJD1459Southern Lofty

20-Jul-2009

70%

-18°C

BGA

8900 (14.94 g)

30-40

12-Jan-2009

DJD1459Southern Lofty

20-Jul-2009

70%

-18°C

Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.